Country-pop sibling act The Band Perry first hit the charts nearly three years ago with its first single, “Hip to My Heart,” which peaked at No.20 on the country chart.

Then it had its huge breakthrough with “If I Die Young,” which topped not only the country charts but also crossed over to No. 1 at adult contemporary and sold quadruple platinum. It was only the fourth single by a country band to sell more than 2 million. It spent more than a year on the Billboard Hot 100.

The group since has had three more hits, two of which hit the Top 2 and went gold, and the most recent of which, “Postcards from Paris,” was in the Top 10 this week.

The surprise is that all those songs came from just one album, The Band Perry’s self-titled debut. The disc has sold 1.5 million copies, and as of this week with the success of “Postcards,” was moving back up Billboard’s Top 200, on which it has spent 97 weeks.

That run of success pushed The Band Perry from being an opening act to a headliner — which it will be Aug. 31 at the Allentown Fair grandstand. And now the group has a sophomore album in the works.

The band — brothers Neil, 22, and Reid, 23, and sister Kimberly, 29 — spoke in an interview to promote the show in a call from northwest Mississippi, right outside of Memphis.

Here’s a transcript of the call.

LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC: Thanks for taking out time to speak with me today.

KIMBERLY PERRY: Thank you.

Let me jump into a couple of things real quick here. I read that you guys were supposed to do a run of dates in the United Kingdom in July, but you postponed them because you were working on a new disc.

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Yeah, we actually had a tour planned for the U.K., which we ended up moving back until October and November of this year. So we’re going to go back over and do some of our own dates, and also Brad Paisley, who’s on tour with us now, he’s playing some shows over there as well. So it’s going to be a great time for us.”

But what was it about the process of the new album that caused you to do that?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Well, you know, basically, the three of us were looking at the calendar a couple of weeks ago, and over the last couple of years, we’ve spent over – what was it? [her brothers mumble in background] 630 days on the road. So, you know, the one thing that made a little bit complicated from time to time is to figure out how to get the second albums done. And so we just really felt like it was important to take that week and a half at the beginning of July and continue to knock out this project – which we’re about 80 percent finished with now.”

OK, and when you say ’80 percent”: All of the songs are written now, they’re in the process of being recorded/ Or you’re in the post-recording process now?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Well, all of the above. Everything is at a different place. Some songs are 100 percent done, some we got to go back and cut vocals on. And I think we have to go back and I think we have a little more writing to do, as well.”

OK. And are you still gearing for a fall release? Or is it pushed into next year now?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “We will have a new single out this fall.”

[Laughs] OK, great. So let me take a step back behind that and point out the fact that “Postcard From Paris” was No. 7 on Billboard this week – your fifth single from you first album. Talk about that a little bit.

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Well, and you know, technically, the week before, it was in the Top 5. So right now we have a Top 5 single with ‘Postcard.’ And it’s exciting, you know? We never imagined when this album came out that we would get to go five singles on this first project. But we call it ‘The Little Engine That Could’ [Laughs], you know? It just kind of kept going and kept going.”

NEIL PERRY: “I think one of the most exciting things about this first album and having five singles is the fact that a lot of people get to hear these songs and learn of it, so at our shows, we actually have a lot of sing-alongs. And that’s, I think, one of the most exciting things. You know, sometimes, it’s gotten to the point to where we’ll stop singing and playing one of our songs live and just let the crowd carry it on. And that’s such a cool moment, I think: Spending time writing that song and putting it on paper to people taking it into their hearts. It’s really cool.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “We’re not really far beyond the step that you take from being an opening act to being a headliner – which, of course we’re excited to bring a headlining show to Allentown. Because folks have to – if they’re going to sit there and watch you for 75 minutes, they got to know some of the music. So I agree with Neil – that’s probably what I’m most excited about. And getting five songs out on the first record, it just makes the show so much more fun.”

Yeah, and you’ve hit on a point I was going to make. You guys only have one albums out, but you are doing headline shows. And I also wanted to point out, two No. 1 singles from those, and three that went gold or platinum. What is it like to have that type of success in the first two years of your recording career?

REID PERRY: “You know, we just really honored that you see the three of our faces on the cover of that CD, but there are a whole group of people that have helped make that possible. From our team at country radio to, most importantly, those people who bough the album or who come out to the live shows. And again, just like Neil and Kimberly were saying, it’s just a special moment to be able to have music that you wrote in your room and people are singing it back to you up there, wherever you end up playing.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “And we believe that country music, more than any other, is the peoples’ music. And so every night that we get to stand on these stages, we understand that the stages, in reality, belong to the people. And so for them to keep us employed, if you will [laughs] through this first album and beyond, it’s just really exciting. And the three of us, we’re kind of blue collar when it comes to our touring workmanship. We like to be doing it day after day after day, and we plan to continue working hard to keep earning our spots on these stages.”

Great. Let me back up – it just occurred to me that when you say you’re going to have a new single coming out this fall, I suppose that means that five is the limit for your first album, right? You’ve run through all the singles that you’re going to have?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Yeah, ‘Postcard’ is certainly the fifth and last single off the first record.”

Tell me a little bit, if you can, about the music that will be on the second album or that you’re working on for the second album. Is it different in any way? Is there any progression? What do you see as the contrast from the first album?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Well, you, know, we’ll certainly be talking even more about that as we get closer to the release. But for now I can say it certainly all stands really well with the first album. I mean, you listen to it and you know it’s The Band Perry. So we’ve also gotten to have so many brand new experiences over the last two years, and that’s reflected no only in the stories that we’re telling on this record, but in the sound of the project, as well.”

REI PERRY: “And for those who want a sneak peak of what the album may sound like, come out to the show, because we will be playing some of the new songs.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “A couple of them, yeah.”

No kidding? Great. A couple of other just small points I wanted to touch on: You guys are going to be on the new “A Very Special Christmas” album – the 25th anniversary one.

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Yes, sir. Is that for the Special Olympics?”

Yes.

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Absolutely, which we were honored to be part of. Our track is going to be ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” which is kind of Motown-meets-rockabilly. And we were honored to be a part of that project. Of course it’s a great organization.”

And how did it come about? Were you approached to do it? As simple as that?

'The Band Perry' album cover

KIMBERLY PERRY: “We were, yeah. We actually recorded ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ last Christmas, and we were hoping it would find a place somewhere; we just really loved that song. And so when they asked us to be involved, we just absolutely jumped on that. We have a real heart for the Special Olympics, and it was just an honor to be a part of.”

And also, Kimberly, you hosted the CMA Music Festival – the one that’s going to show on TV on the 17th.

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Yes, sir, with Luke Bryan, which was very fun. [laughs]”

Tell me a little bit about that if you can. What was the experience like?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Yeah, I mean, probably the thing that we learned the most was how to interview other artists. You guys have a tough job – you never know where an artist is going to go. But the three of us – Reid, Neil and I – got to interview Rascall Flatts, and then I also did a Brad Paisley interview, and Blake Shelton. And the one thing we got to do to prepare for it – we were in a tour bus getting ready to go out, and do these interviews. And so Neil pretended to be, like, the Blake Shelton that would throw a curveball in an interview.

NEIL PERRY: “And then one of us would be the Blake Shelton that didn’t really want to say a whole bunch.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Yeah, and that’s kind of how we prepared for it. But it was really a great experience. I think we all kind of got the fever for getting to do that sort of thing.”

Um, OK. So two years of constantly on the road, recording and all of that stuff, what are the sibling dynamics like these days? Are you guys still getting along? Are you getting along better? Are you understanding each other? Tell me.

REID PERRY: “We’ve been doing this for 14 years. We started back when we were kids, and we’re still kids to this day. We have grown up in some instances.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “You’re taller.”

REID PERRY: “Well, yeah, we’re taller. But we still do have the typical – stereotypical – sibling, I guess you’d call them spats, but we call the discussions – a more appropriate word. But you know, growing up together, it’s a lot about just the insignificant things, nothing to do with creativity or business decisions. I think we’ve gotten really good about getting on the same page when it comes to that.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “Well, we certainly are three people with very, uh, strong opinions, and sometimes our opinions, you know, they vary from each other. But I think it’s important for us always to have the debate and everybody to feel like they have an equal voice. But also to walk out of the room on the same page. And so I just think that’s our mantra – we stand united, and we certainly have the tough discussions but I also think we’re great at getting on the same page.”

Do you guys have – I don’t know an easier way to ask this – do you guys have romantic lives? Or is it just too hectic?

KIMBERLY PERRY: “You know, the cool thing about being on a tour bus is there’s lots of extra bunks. And so we certainly have to conduct our romantic lives on the run, but we’re able to bring people out and spend time with them and get to know them. You know, it’s really about just being creative and spending quality time over quantity. But we certainly have dynamics, even more than music, that make our lives feel rich.”

You know, I can’t let you go without looking back to the Grammys this year and you guys being nominated for best new artist – you and Nicki Minaj – and then Bon Iver winning it. I mean, how crazy is that? Do you ever look back and say, “Look, you Grammy guys were nuts”?

KIMBERLY PERRY: [Laughs] “Well, they aren’t too crazy, ‘cause they did let us perform with Glen Campbell, and that was a really life-changing moment for us. Especially ‘cause you’re in rehearsal with Paul McCartney, who’s sitting on the front row.”

REID PERRY: “Yeah, he was sitting on the front row watching our rehearsal. And he was taking pictures of us on his camera, and the three of us were thinking, ‘We are on Paul McCartney’s camera.’ That is a pretty cool thing.”

NEAL PERRY: “And then we actually got to meet him backstage, and I guess there just were other artists up on stage, but he was so much shorter than I thought he would be. But he was the sweetest guy, and we talked with him for a few minutes.”

KIMBERLY PERRY: “The other cool thing about the Grammy is it’s anybody’s night. You never know how those awards are going to turn out. And for us, awards shows are always as much about performances as they are about wins and losses of the night. And ultimately the Grammys bring all us crazy artists from a million different genres together under one roof and I think that’s the magic of the night.”

"Tommy Jordan" here. Hey howdy yall. It's been a while since I saw yall last.I am so so proud of yall.
I know yall are very busy but if get a get a minute during one of your long bus rides please give me a ring. Your Dad has my number. Love and miss yall. Tommy Jordan

Posted By: Tommy Jordan | Nov 26, 2012 3:26:10 AM

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JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.